Ball State University Athletics
Baseball Travels To Southeast Missouri This Weekend
February 24, 2011 | Baseball
What's On Tap . . .
Ball State continues its season-opening 15-game road swing this weekend as the Cardinals travel to Cape Girardeau, Mo., for a three-game series at Southeast Missouri State ... The two teams will open the series Friday at 3 p.m. (CT) while playing Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT) at Capaha Field ... Live stats will be available at www.ballstatesports.com.
Ball State enters the weekend with an 0-3 record on the year as it dropped three games at Kennesaw State to open the year ... Southeast Missouri State enters the weekend with a 3-1 record ... The Redhawks took two out of three at Louisiana-Lafayette last weekend before downing Harris Stowe in their home opener ... This weekend mark's the first ever meeting between BSU and SEMO.
This Weekend's Starters . . .
Ball State will send the same starting rotation to the hill this weekend in junior right-hander Cal Bowling, senior left-hander Derek Grabner and freshman right-hander T.J. Weir ... Southeast Missouri will counter with three senior pitchers in the rotation in left-hander Jordan Underwood, right-hander Jon Dicus and right-hander Brad LaBruyere.
Bowling, the Cardinals' Saturday starter last year, will be making his second Friday start of the year ... He worked 4.1 innings last weekend and allowed two runs on six hits while walking three and striking out two batters ... He made his first appearance of the year after missing most of the fall season due to an injury.
Grabner will be making his third career start and second this season Saturday ... He worked a team-high 4.2 innings last weekend and allowed two runs on four hits ... He struck out one batter and walked one batter.
Weir will be making his second career start after working 3.1 innings last Sunday while picking up the loss ... He allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits while walking three batters and striking out two.
Underwood owns a 1-0 record as he worked 5.0 innings of one run baseball at Louisiana-Lafayette ... He allowed five hits but walked four batters and struck out five.
Dicus will get the nod Saturday afternoon and will be making his second start of the year ... He picked up the win last weekend after working 5.0 innings of one run baseball ... He allowed seven hits and did not walk a batter while striking out two.
LaBruyere will be making his second start after working 3.2 innings in a no decision last weekend ... He allowed two runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out one.
Scouting The Cardinals . . .
Ball State enters the weekend series with an 0-3 record after the Cardinals dropped three at Kennesaw State last weekend ... The Cardinals scored 18 runs in the three-game series but allowed 30 runs by the Owls ... Ball State's pitching staff posted a 7.40 ERA in the series and issued 26 walks compared to just 15 strikeouts.
Sophomore left fielder Kirby Campbell posted a .375 batting average on the weekend with three hits ... Campbell scored a team-high four runs and stole two bases in the series ... Sophomore third baseman Stephen Claypool led the team with four hits in the series, including a pair of doubles ... Junior center fielder Cody Elliott drove in a team-high six runs on the weekend while junior Mitch Widau posted the Cardinals' only home run.
In the bullpen, the Cardinals used 10 different relief pitchers in the first weekend of the year ... Left-hander Justin Warrington was the only reliever to make multiple appearances as he worked 2.0 shutout innings and struck out a team-high four batters ... Freshman left-hander Devin Wilburn tossed 2.1 shutout innings while freshman right-hander Jacob Brewer added 2.0 shutout innings of relief.
Scouting The Redhawks . . .
Southeast Missouri enters the weekend with a 3-1 record this year after picking up a series win at Louisiana-Lafayette and a midweek win over Harris-Stowe ... The Redhawks have scored 18 runs in four games while only allowing seven runs.
Taylor Heon leads the Redhawks with a .300 batting average after posting two doubles in the first four games ... Michael Adamson leads Southeast Missouri with four hits and has scored a team-high four runs ... Blake Slattery leads the team with three stolen bases while Louie Haseltine leads the team with four RBI.
In the bullpen, the Redhawks have used seven players in relief ... Kirk Boeller has made two appearances and has tossed 4.0 shutout innings while striking out five batters ... Closer Shae Simmons has posted two saves and has a worked 4.0 shutout innings while striking out six batters.
Wow, Widau . . .
Junior second baseman Mitch Widau, a former walk-on, is a starter for the Cardinals for the second straight year ... Widau posted the Cardinals' first home run of the season and his first home run of his career Friday afternoon ... He did not post a home run in his first 50 career games as a Cardinal prior to Friday's action.
Campbell Brothers . . .
Ball State has a pair of brothers in the starting lineup this season with sophomore Kirby Campbell and freshman Cody Campbell from Cowan High School in Muncie ... Kirby started all three games for the Cardinals in left field at Kennesaw State and posted a .375 batting average with four runs scored ... Cody started all three games for the Cardinals against KSU with two starts at first base and one at designated hitter ... He tallied two hits, including his first career double.
BSU Picked Fourth In West . . .
Ball State was selected to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference West Division in the preseason poll ... The Cardinals finished last season with a 29-29 overall record and a 19-8 mark in MAC play as they finished tied for second place in the MAC West Division ... Ball State will have numerous spots to fill on the roster this season as it lost its 3-4-5-6 hole hitters as well as its Friday and Sunday starters to graduation and the Major League Baseball Draft.
Defending MAC Tournament champion Kent State was selected to finish first in the MAC East Division while defending regular season champion Central Michigan was tabbed for the top spot in the MAC West Division ... Additionally, Kent State was selected as the favorite for the 2011 MAC Tournament.
West Division
1. Central Michigan (69)
2. Toledo (60)
3. Eastern Michigan (46)
4. Ball State (37)
5. Northern Illinois (26)
6. Western Michigan (12)
East Division
1. Kent State (72)
2. Miami (53)
3. Bowling Green (50)
4. Ohio (35)
5. Akron (24)
6. Buffalo (16)
MAC Tournament: Kent State (5), Central Michigan (3), Toledo (2), Miami (1), Eastern Michigan (1).
Top Rated Arms . . .
The Cardinals received some preseason honors from the CollegeBaseballInsider.com in its annual Mid-American Conference preview ... Senior shortstop T.J. Baumet was chosen by the league's head coaches to have the best infield arm in the MAC ... Also, junior outfielder Cody Elliott was tabbed with the best outfield arm in the MAC.
Cardinals Name Captains . . .
First-year head coach Alex Marconi has named three team captains for the 2011 season in senior shortstop T.J. Baumet and sophomore right fielder Blake Beemer ... Baumet has been the team's starting shortstop since his freshman season ... He posted a .337 batting average last spring while leading the team with 26 stolen bases ... Beemer claimed control of the right field starting position last year and recorded a .328 batting average in 45 starts as a true freshman.
Looking Ahead . . .
The Cardinals hit the road for their annual spring break trip as they play nine games in North and South Carolina ... The Cardinals will play four at the Coastal Carolina Tournament, have midweek games at the Citadel and the College of Charleston before a three-game series at Charlotte.
What's On Tap . . .
Ball State continues its season-opening 15-game road swing this weekend as the Cardinals travel to Cape Girardeau, Mo., for a three-game series at Southeast Missouri State ... The two teams will open the series Friday at 3 p.m. (CT) while playing Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT) at Capaha Field ... Live stats will be available at www.ballstatesports.com.
Ball State enters the weekend with an 0-3 record on the year as it dropped three games at Kennesaw State to open the year ... Southeast Missouri State enters the weekend with a 3-1 record ... The Redhawks took two out of three at Louisiana-Lafayette last weekend before downing Harris Stowe in their home opener ... This weekend mark's the first ever meeting between BSU and SEMO.
This Weekend's Starters . . .
Ball State will send the same starting rotation to the hill this weekend in junior right-hander Cal Bowling, senior left-hander Derek Grabner and freshman right-hander T.J. Weir ... Southeast Missouri will counter with three senior pitchers in the rotation in left-hander Jordan Underwood, right-hander Jon Dicus and right-hander Brad LaBruyere.
Bowling, the Cardinals' Saturday starter last year, will be making his second Friday start of the year ... He worked 4.1 innings last weekend and allowed two runs on six hits while walking three and striking out two batters ... He made his first appearance of the year after missing most of the fall season due to an injury.
Grabner will be making his third career start and second this season Saturday ... He worked a team-high 4.2 innings last weekend and allowed two runs on four hits ... He struck out one batter and walked one batter.
Weir will be making his second career start after working 3.1 innings last Sunday while picking up the loss ... He allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits while walking three batters and striking out two.
Underwood owns a 1-0 record as he worked 5.0 innings of one run baseball at Louisiana-Lafayette ... He allowed five hits but walked four batters and struck out five.
Dicus will get the nod Saturday afternoon and will be making his second start of the year ... He picked up the win last weekend after working 5.0 innings of one run baseball ... He allowed seven hits and did not walk a batter while striking out two.
LaBruyere will be making his second start after working 3.2 innings in a no decision last weekend ... He allowed two runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out one.
Scouting The Cardinals . . .
Ball State enters the weekend series with an 0-3 record after the Cardinals dropped three at Kennesaw State last weekend ... The Cardinals scored 18 runs in the three-game series but allowed 30 runs by the Owls ... Ball State's pitching staff posted a 7.40 ERA in the series and issued 26 walks compared to just 15 strikeouts.
Sophomore left fielder Kirby Campbell posted a .375 batting average on the weekend with three hits ... Campbell scored a team-high four runs and stole two bases in the series ... Sophomore third baseman Stephen Claypool led the team with four hits in the series, including a pair of doubles ... Junior center fielder Cody Elliott drove in a team-high six runs on the weekend while junior Mitch Widau posted the Cardinals' only home run.
In the bullpen, the Cardinals used 10 different relief pitchers in the first weekend of the year ... Left-hander Justin Warrington was the only reliever to make multiple appearances as he worked 2.0 shutout innings and struck out a team-high four batters ... Freshman left-hander Devin Wilburn tossed 2.1 shutout innings while freshman right-hander Jacob Brewer added 2.0 shutout innings of relief.
Scouting The Redhawks . . .
Southeast Missouri enters the weekend with a 3-1 record this year after picking up a series win at Louisiana-Lafayette and a midweek win over Harris-Stowe ... The Redhawks have scored 18 runs in four games while only allowing seven runs.
Taylor Heon leads the Redhawks with a .300 batting average after posting two doubles in the first four games ... Michael Adamson leads Southeast Missouri with four hits and has scored a team-high four runs ... Blake Slattery leads the team with three stolen bases while Louie Haseltine leads the team with four RBI.
In the bullpen, the Redhawks have used seven players in relief ... Kirk Boeller has made two appearances and has tossed 4.0 shutout innings while striking out five batters ... Closer Shae Simmons has posted two saves and has a worked 4.0 shutout innings while striking out six batters.
Wow, Widau . . .
Junior second baseman Mitch Widau, a former walk-on, is a starter for the Cardinals for the second straight year ... Widau posted the Cardinals' first home run of the season and his first home run of his career Friday afternoon ... He did not post a home run in his first 50 career games as a Cardinal prior to Friday's action.
Campbell Brothers . . .
Ball State has a pair of brothers in the starting lineup this season with sophomore Kirby Campbell and freshman Cody Campbell from Cowan High School in Muncie ... Kirby started all three games for the Cardinals in left field at Kennesaw State and posted a .375 batting average with four runs scored ... Cody started all three games for the Cardinals against KSU with two starts at first base and one at designated hitter ... He tallied two hits, including his first career double.
BSU Picked Fourth In West . . .
Ball State was selected to finish fourth in the Mid-American Conference West Division in the preseason poll ... The Cardinals finished last season with a 29-29 overall record and a 19-8 mark in MAC play as they finished tied for second place in the MAC West Division ... Ball State will have numerous spots to fill on the roster this season as it lost its 3-4-5-6 hole hitters as well as its Friday and Sunday starters to graduation and the Major League Baseball Draft.
Defending MAC Tournament champion Kent State was selected to finish first in the MAC East Division while defending regular season champion Central Michigan was tabbed for the top spot in the MAC West Division ... Additionally, Kent State was selected as the favorite for the 2011 MAC Tournament.
West Division
1. Central Michigan (69)
2. Toledo (60)
3. Eastern Michigan (46)
4. Ball State (37)
5. Northern Illinois (26)
6. Western Michigan (12)
East Division
1. Kent State (72)
2. Miami (53)
3. Bowling Green (50)
4. Ohio (35)
5. Akron (24)
6. Buffalo (16)
MAC Tournament: Kent State (5), Central Michigan (3), Toledo (2), Miami (1), Eastern Michigan (1).
Top Rated Arms . . .
The Cardinals received some preseason honors from the CollegeBaseballInsider.com in its annual Mid-American Conference preview ... Senior shortstop T.J. Baumet was chosen by the league's head coaches to have the best infield arm in the MAC ... Also, junior outfielder Cody Elliott was tabbed with the best outfield arm in the MAC.
Cardinals Name Captains . . .
First-year head coach Alex Marconi has named three team captains for the 2011 season in senior shortstop T.J. Baumet and sophomore right fielder Blake Beemer ... Baumet has been the team's starting shortstop since his freshman season ... He posted a .337 batting average last spring while leading the team with 26 stolen bases ... Beemer claimed control of the right field starting position last year and recorded a .328 batting average in 45 starts as a true freshman.
Looking Ahead . . .
The Cardinals hit the road for their annual spring break trip as they play nine games in North and South Carolina ... The Cardinals will play four at the Coastal Carolina Tournament, have midweek games at the Citadel and the College of Charleston before a three-game series at Charlotte.
